The Toronto Raptors recently completed an impressive run to this season’s NBA Championship. They became to the first team other than the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers to win an NBA league title over the past five seasons.
This opens a world of possibilities for all 30 NBA teams in the sudden absence of one team as a dominating force. The trick for avid NBA betting fans following this feat is finding the best value on the list in the early NBA futures to win the next championship series in 2020.
Key Free Agents
There are more than a few big-name free agents set to hit the open market in the summer months. Kawhi Leonard has already proven his worth in Toronto as one of the biggest names on that free agent list. Kevin Durant might not even suit up next season while rehabbing his torn Achilles. However, if he does jump ship and leaves Golden State, it will create some shockwaves across the NBA in terms of what some other key free agents decide to do.
These unknowns are what makes early betting on futures such a challenge. You have first to decide which players are going to be playing which teams next season. If you had a crystal ball, you could make a small fortune. Tracking which teams are in the race for each of the NBA elite stars eligible for free agency is the next best thing.
Consistent Winners
The Milwaukee Bucks will undoubtedly look to fill any additional holes in the roster coming off the recent NBA Draft. However, they are in the best position to also maintain their current roster. The Bucks were the most consistent team in the league last year until they ran into the red-hot Raptors in the finals of the Eastern Conference. That experience should serve this team well heading into next year’s quest for a league title. It also enhances the value in Milwaukee’s +650 odds to actually get it done.
More Questions Than Answers
One of the bigger reaches on the board is the Los Angeles Lakers as +250 favorites to win it all next season. They made the big early splash by trading for Anthony Davis, who wanted out of New Orleans. The Lakers should add to their 37 wins this season, but is LeBron James and Davis enough to really justify those lofty odds? The betting public is driving that number down but is there any other basis to believe that the Lakers are suddenly the best bet in the league.
Golden State is on the list at +850 odds. With Klay Thompson also slated to miss some significant playing time next season while rehabbing his torn ACL, the Warriors suddenly become just another good team playing in the Western Conference. They still have the second-best odds of any team in the West behind the Lakers, but is there any value in those odds with two of their best players on the shelf?
Top-Value Plays
You could put the Los Angeles Clippers at +1000 at the top of the value category. Almost every big name that will be a free agent has been linked to joining this LA team. Leonard has already decided to test the free-agent waters following the NBA’s June 30 deadline for accepting any options on their current contracts. His name has been repeatedly linked to the Clippers and if that deal does go down, so will this team’s odds to win it all. Betting LA now could be an excellent hedge bet against all the changes that could take place in the month of July. You could also go with Toronto at +700 on the hedge that Leonard remains north of the border for the 2019/2020 NBA season.
